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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · fork · wax · rush · content · ball · coach · hide

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. capital — a city
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wax — to grow
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. capital — money
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. content — happy
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. content — the amount
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com